Electric heater



June 9, 1925.

C. P. RANDOLPH ELECTRIC HEATER Filed Nov. 30, 1923 a. 2m fii mn/Mfi Va AR w H m U Mb C y Eggspective view of an electric heater em-' .DOLPH, acitizen of'the when overturned. I may 'in which the heat radiations arePatented June 9, 1925 UNITED STATES:

, 1,541,660 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. RANDOLPH, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO EDISON ELECTRICAPPLIANCE OODANY, INCORPORATED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

I nnnc'r'mo nna'rna.

Application fled ll'ovember ao,,1saa. Serial No. 677,866.

To all whom it may concern? Be it 'knownthat I Cannes 1. RAN- llnitedStates, resid ing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Heaters,of which the following is a specifica-- tion.

My invention relates to electric heaters, more particularly toortableelectric heaters, and has for its 0 ject the provision of meansfor causing the heater in case it; is overturned toautomaticallv assumea position such that the heat radiations are directed upward. Y Morespecifically, my invention relates to portable electric heaters of theradiant type provided with a reflector for directing t e heat radiationsin one general direction. As usually constructed such a heater consistsof a eating unit mounted in a reflector, the whole being sup rted on asuitable base. Due to unavoi able features of construction, such aheater ma be overturned accidentally, or otherwise p aced in a positionsuch thatthe; heat radiations are directed downward. In such a positionit constitutes a fire hazard. Various schemes have been proposed forovercoming this fire hazard. One. of these schemes consists in rovidingan off center weight for the ase which causes the heater when overturnedto.

roll over to a position in which the heat radiations, are directedupward.- Such a scheme is shown in Patent 1,431,993 to Strunk, datedOctober17,'1

In. carrying out my invention I rovide a base for the heater of such'shat at the heater is caused to roll to a sa e position also provide aweight for making this action more effectlve. I

For a more complete understanding of my invention reference should behad to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a yin my invention;Fig. 2 is an elevation view 0 the heater overturned to a sition irecteddownward; while Fi 3 is a view showing the position in which the heaterfinallycomes' to rest after being overturned.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown invention in one formas appliedto a portable electric radiant heater comprising .over on its 'back' toa safe the position shown. in

a suitable electric heating unit 10 which is mounted in such positionwith relation to a refiectorll that the heat radiations are reunit andreflector are mounted on a supporting base '12.; A pivotal adjustableconnection 13 is provided with the base so that the heater may beadjusted and locked to throw the heat radiations at the desired verticalangle above or below horizontal. .The terminalsof the heating unit- 10are brought out inside a suitable housing 14 provided with means wherebythe. heater may be connectedto an electric circuit in any well knownmanner, asfor instance by means of a permanently attached cord or by anattachment plug. A' wire guard 15 is rovided over the face of thereflector." his guard is preferably bulged outward as shown in the drawilig so that its ouline is oval or spherical. 'e guard is provided toimprove the appearance .of the heater and protect it and also toovercome to a certain extent the tendency of the heater to remain facedownward when overturned.

.The base 12 is provided with a pointed or oval-shaped extension 16which extends toward the, front-of the heater the directionof' the heatradiations.

downward, to the position illustrated in,

Fig. 2, it will. be very unstable due to the shape of the base and alsoof the guard 15. It will be observed that in this position the heaterrests on the guard and on the point of the extension 16 of the base. Theheater thus has a tendency to roll over. In fact,

. it is practically impossible to balance it in the position shown inFig. 2, and in case it were so balanced any jar would be suflicient tounbalance it and cause it to roll sition as shown in'Fig. 3. It will beun erstood that the base 12 is .relativel heavy'with respect to otherarts of the eater and by reason of its weight has suflicient momentum tocarry the heater over the ed of z the reflector to 8' For the purpose ofgiving the heater a greater momentum as it rolls, and also to make itmore unstable when in the position shown in Fig. 2, a weight 18 may beprovided on the base. This weight is preferably placed off center, thatis, at one side of the vertical center line XY of the base when in theposition shown in Fig. 2. It may be formed or cast integral with thebase as shown, or it may be a se arate part secured to the base. I havefoun however, that the weight 18 is not absolutely necessary since theunbalancing of the heater due to the elongated extension 16 of the base,is ordinarily suflicient to cause the heater to roll over to the ositionshown in Fig. 3, especially under t e conditions existing when theheater is accidentally knocked over.

When the weight 18 is not used the heater may roll in a clockwisedirection from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown inFig. 3, or it mayroll in the opposite direction to a similar position.The direction of roll will depend on which of the two directions theheater happens to be more unstable in after being overturned. When theweight 18 is used the heater will tend to roll when overturned to theposition shown in Fig. 3 and will always assume this position. In caseit should start to roll in a counter-clockwise direction, the effect ofthe weight will be sufiicient to carry it completely over to theposition shown in Fig. 3.

Vhen the weight is not used, the heater will not roll completely overwhen rolling in a counter clockwise direction but will come to rest in asition corresponding to Fig. 3.

While have described my invention as embodied in concrete form and asoperating in a specific manner in accordance with the provisions of thepatent statutes, it should be understood that I do not limit myinvention thereto, since various modifications thereof will suggestthemselves. to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spiritof my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. An electric heater com rising a radiant electric heating unit, a reactor for directing the heat radiated by said unit, and a base for saidunit and reflector so shaped that the 2. An electric heater comprising aradiant electric heating unit, a reflector for directing the heatradiated by said unit, an outwardly curved guard for said reflector, anda base for said unit and reflector so shaped that the heater whenoverturned assumes a position in which the heat radiations are directedupward.

3. An electric heater comprising a radiant electric heating unit, areflector for direct ing the heat radiated biy said unit, a protrudingguard for said re ector, and a base for said unit and reflector havingan extension extending in the direction of the heat radiations, saidbase being otherwise so shaped that the heater when overturned assumes aposition in which the heat radiations are directed upward.

4. An electric heater comprising a radiant electric heating unit, areflector for directing the heat radiated by said unit, and a supportingbase for said unit and reflector provided with an oval shaped extensionpointin in the direction of the heat radiations whereby the heater isunstable when overturned to any position such that the heat is directeddownward.

5. An electric heater comprising a radiant electric heating unit, areflector for directing the heat radiated by said unit, a pro-- trudingguard for said reflector and an oval like supporting base for saidheating unit and reflector pointing in the direction of the reflectedheat, whereby the heater when overturned assumes a osition such that theheat is directed upward a 6. An electric heater, comprising a radianelectric heating unit, a reflector for directing the heat radiated bysaid unit, an out wardly curved guard for the front of said reflector,an acorn shaped base for said reflector pointing in the direction ofthe, reflected heat whereby the heater when overturned tends to rollover to a position such that the heat is directed upward, and a weighton said base.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set myhand this 24th day ofNovember, 1923.

CHARLES P. RANDOLPH.

